Since ancient times, fish skins have been used in the manufacture of various leather goods. Thanks to the unique texture and ease of coloring, it is in demand to this day. The world's leading couturiers make fashionable clothes, shoes and accessories from fish skin.
It is necessary
- - knife;
- - sodium, ash or soap;
- - table;
- - board;
- - branches of willow or larch.
Instructions
Step 1
To dress fish skin at home, it is very important to carefully remove it. It is advisable to do this with freshly caught fish, until the skin has lost its elasticity.
Step 2
Scale the fish, being careful not to damage the skin. Then peel off the skin from the head to the tail, carefully peeling it off with a knife. If possible, it is best to use a bone knife, which will reduce the risk of cuts.
Step 3
Now the main thing is to degrease the skin and get rid of its specific smell. To do this, you can treat it with a weak sodium solution, ash, or wash it with soap. When using the latter option, the fish skin should be soaked in soapy water for a day, washed, then stretched, fixed on a hard horizontal surface and gently cleaned with a knife from the inside. Then wash it again.
Step 4
Stretch the leather on a smooth surface (glass) and leave to dry until it is tough and translucent. It will take about two days.
Step 5
After all these procedures, you can begin the most laborious process - softening the skin. You can use a dull ax blade or a large knife. Place the skin on a wooden board and beat it lightly for about 1.5 hours. The softening time depends on the structure of the skin. It should eventually become soft, like a blotter.
Step 6
To maintain the elasticity of the skin, dampen each skin with a little water. After drying for 12 hours, repeat the softening process.
Step 7
To obtain a beautiful color, the skins must be smoked. To do this, make a fire in a hut from dry willow or larch branches, and bring pieces of skin high above it. This process should take about 4 days.
Step 8
After that, the skin becomes soft, strong, elastic and has a beautiful unique pattern from the removed scales.
Step 9
There are many varieties of fish, the skins of which can be used as raw hides. These include pike, menek, conger eel, moray eel, about 14 species of sharks, carp, salmon, sturgeon, stingray, chum salmon and others. For example, clothes and gloves are made from the soft skin of a pike. Carp leather is used as a decoration. And from the skin of salmon, which is distinguished by its special strength and durability, shoes, handbags and wallets are made.
